Adjustable wrench



May 13, 1930. J SCHUBRT ET AL ADJUSTABLE WRENCH Filed Dec. 13, 1929 nvenoral E Qzdwei v By//moa Patented May 1-3, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN LLOYD SCHUBERT, F HILLSBORO, ANI) JOHNSTON EAKINS CALDWELL, OF MOUNT EAMILL, IOWA.

ADJUSTABLE WRENCH The present invention relates to wrenches and has for its principal object to provide an adjustable wrench embodying a pivoted handle by means of which the jaws of the wrench may be moved into or out of cooperating positions with respect to the work.

A further object is to provide a wrench of a simple and practical construction, which is strong and durable, relatively inexpensive le to manufacture and assemble and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the special construction, combination and arrangement of the various elements forming the invention as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like ae parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view with parts broken away and shown in section,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken along a line 2-2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 8 is a similar view taken along a line 3 8 of Figure l.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the wrench includes a pair of cooperating jaws indicated at 5 and 6 respectively, the

.so inner end of the jaw 5 being formed integral with a plate 7 having a cylindrical guide 8 formed along its edge adjacent to the jaw and extending outwardly at right angles from the jaw face.

35 The inner edge of the jaw 6 is provided with a pairof spaced parallel plates 9 adapted for positioning at opposite sides of the plate 7 and having a cylindrical recess 1() for slidably receiving the cylindrical guide 8 of the jaw 5. The jaws are thus mounted for sliding movement into and out of engagement with respect to the work positioned between the opposed faces of the jaw.

The guide 8 is formed with a bore l() within which an expansible coil spring 11 is tted, the spring having one end attached to a pin 12 depending within the recess 10 from the plate 9 and the other end of the spring is attached to an adjusting screw 13 threaded in one end of the bore 10.

The spring accordingly operates to yieldably urge the jaws into cooperating position. The plates 9 are provided at their inner sides withrack bars 1li, the teeth of which are engageable by a pair of gear segments 15 formed on the bifurcated upper end of a handle 16` the bifurcations being disposed at opposite sides of the plate '.1'.

The plate 7 is formed with a series of apertures -17 within which a `pin 18 may be selectivelyV positioned to provide a pivotal mounting for the handle. The lower edge of the plate 'l' is also formed with teeth 19 with which a stop 2O slidably carried by the handle is engageable for securing the handle in a desired position after the jaw 6 has been moved into engagement with the work by the pivotal movement of the handle.

The stop 20 is manipulated by means of a linger grip 21 extending laterally from the stop outwardly through a slotted opening 22 formed in one edge of the handle.

It will be apparent from the foregoing th at upon the movement of the handle in a proper direction that the gear segment 15 engaging the racl-:s 14 of the plate 9 carried by the jaw 6 that said jaw will be moved in a direction toward the jaw 5 for gripping the sides of nut or other object. After the worlr has thus been engaged, thel stop 20 is then mov ed into position for engaging the teeth 19 and the handle is thus rigidly secured with respect to the jaws.

1t is obvious that our invention is susceptible to various changes and modifications in construction without departing from the spirit of the'invention or the scope of the appended claims, and `we accordingly claim all such forms of the device to which we are entitled. Y

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new is:

1. A wrench comprising a pair of jaws, a plate formed on one of the jaws, a pair of plates formed on the other of said jaws and positioned at opposite sides of said first named plate, a guide at one edge of said first 'named plate, saidrpair of plates having a recess for slidably receiving the guide, rack bars formed on said pair of plates, a handle having a bifurcated end and gear segments carried by the bifurcations engaging the rack bars for moving the jaws into and out of engagement.

2. A wrench comprising a pair of jaws, a plate formed :at the inner end lof one of the jaws 'and extending outwardly-at right angles with respect to the jaw aee,a-pair of spaced-plates itorniedY on the other om said jaws and positioned at opposite sides of said first named plate, a cylindrical recess formed between said pair of plates, a tubular cylindrical guide formed at the upper edge of said firstnamed plate andfslidablein `said recess,

a screw threaded in saidV guide, a pin carried by "said 'pair o `plate's,fa `spring 'having its ends "attached 'respectively *to said screw "and said pin for yieldably urging the jaws 'together, rack bars formed on 'said pair of plates, 'a handle having abifurcated end pivotally attached to said rst named plate, gear segments formed on said bifurcations and engageable with the rack' bars for moving thejaws into and out ofengagement and cooperating means carried by the first' named 4plate and the handle 'orse'curi'ng the handle against movement. v

In testimony 'whereof 'we Valii): our signatures. I .Y H n I,

JOHN LLOYD SCHUBERT `JOHNSTON EAK-TNS CALDVELL. 

